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Warner Bros.; Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Hobbit's cast geared up to celebrate the film's big premiere Wednesday night in Wellington, New Zealand, but one thing still seemed to rule them all: the shadow of animal-abuse allegations lobbed against the production.

Director Peter Jackson, for one, remains steadfast in his bid to set the record straight.

At a press conference a few hours before the film's splashy debut, the Oscar-winner again denied claims that the production caused the deaths of more than two dozen animals used in production due to poor conditions on a farm where they were housed.

Don't expect PETA to back down anytime soon: The organization has stepped up its attack on the production, demanding that New Zealand government officials launch an investigation into the alleged animal cruelty.

"New Zealand authorities must send a message to the international film community that no production, however high-profile, can get away with fatally neglecting animals," PETA said in a letter to New Zealand's Minister of Primary Industries, David Carter.

Jackson and the film's studio, Warner Bros., have staunchly denied all accusations: In a lengthy statement posted on Facebook last week, Jackson slammed PETA for choosing "to make such a serious accusation...without properly vetting the source from which they received this information."

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